Avery Barkley

Played by Jonathan Jackson

Character Biography

When Avery first arrived in Nashville, he was a passionate and headstrong alt-country music writer who was paying his dues grinding out local gigs and hustling his demos. A bad record contract failed to provide him with a fast-track to fame but Avery’s finally finding success as a music producer.

After helping Juliette Barnes produce a country music hit, Avery’s been able to book the enviable gig of producing rising country sensation Sadie Stone’s latest album. His band ZAG has also been generating interest from music industry bigwigs.

It’s also an exciting time in his personal life, with Avery having recently married Juliette Barnes, with whom he’s expecting his first child!

Jonathan Jackson began his acting career at the age of 11 and achieved almost instant success. After a few national television commercials, he landed a choice contract role in 1993 as Luke and Laura’s son, Lucky Spencer, on ABC’s “General Hospital.” This role, which he held off and on through last season, earned him five Daytime Emmy Awards, as well as three additional nominations and four Hollywood Reporter Youngster Awards.

Jaskson’s film credits include Miramax’ “Havana Nights,” the independent thriller “Riding the Bullet,” based on the Stephen King novel, and “Insomnia,” starring Al Pacino. He also starred in “Deep End of the Ocean,” the independent feature “True Rights,” “The Smiling Suicide Club,” “Skeletons in the Closet,” “Camp Nowhere,” and with Judy Davis in the telefilm “A Little Thing Called Murder.” More recently Jackson starred with Nick Stahl in the independent film “Kalamity.”

In addition to acting, Jackson and his brother, Richard Lee Jackson, co-wrote and directed the short film “Crystal Clear,” which won three awards in the Brooklyn Film Festival, including Best Dramatic Short, plus a Coen Brothers Award. They also scored the film. Their musical resume continues to grow as their original songs appear in the scores of such movies as “True Rights,” “Skeletons in the Closet,” “Prisoner of Zenda, Inc.” and in other upcoming projects.

Born in Orlando, FL, but raised in Washington State, Jackson now splits his time between Los Angeles and Nashville with his wife, Lisa Jackson, and their three children. He is the frontman for the band Enation with his brother. Together they’ve released several albums and garnered a Top 10 single on the iTunes Rock Charts. He can be followed on Twitter @JonathanJackson